Interpretive Summary: Certain roasted peanut flavor note traits are heritable. Currently the only means of accurately measuring these flavor notes is the use of a trained sensory panel. This is a costly and time-consuming process. It is desirable, from cost, time, and sample size to find other methodologies for estimating these traits. Because sweetness is the most heritable trait and has a significant positive relationship to the roasted peanut trait, we investigated possible relationships between heritable quality traits and 18 sugar components in raw peanuts. Previously reported correlations among sweet, bitter, and roasted peanut flavor notes were also evident in this study. Where there was positive relationship of total sugars with sweetness, there also was positive relationship with the roasted peanut flavor note and negative relationship with bitterness and astringency. The expected generalized relationship of total sugars or sucrose to sweetness could not be established, because the relationship was not the same across market-types. Further work is needed to determine the nature of the chemical components related to the bitter principle, which appear to modify the sweet response and interfere with the sensory perception of sweetness, particularly in the Virginia type. Certain components showed significant relationships with flavor notes in one market-type and not another. These differential associations show the complexity of the interrelationships among sweet, bitter, and roasted peanut flavor notes. Within two market-types it is possible to improve the selection efficiency for sweetness and roasted peanut quality by assaying for total carbohydrates. Based on regression values, the greatest efficiency would occur in the fastigiate market-type, then the runner.

Technical Abstract:
Certain roasted peanut quality attributes are heritable. The only means of measuring these traits is the use of a trained sensory panel. This is a costly and time-consuming process. It is highly desirable, from cost, time, and sample size to find other methodologies for estimating these traits. Because sweetness is the most heritable trait and it has a significant positive relationship to the roasted peanut trait, we have investigated possible relationships between heritable sensory traits and 18 carbohydrate components in raw peanuts. Previously reported correlations among sweet, bitter, and roasted peanut attributes were evident in this study as well. Where there was positive correlation of total sugars with sweetness, there also was positive correlation with roasted peanut attribute and negative correlation with bitterness and astringency. The expected generalized relationship of total sugars or sucrose to sweetness can not be established dbecause the relationship was not the same across all market-types. Further work is needed to determine the chemical components related to the bitter principle, which appear to modify the sweet response and interfere with the sensory perception of sweetness, particularly in the virginia type. Also, certain components showed significant relationships with sensory attributes in one market-type and not another. These differential associations show th complexity of the interrelationships among sweet, bitter, and roasted peanut attributes. Within two market-types it is possible to improve the selection efficiency for sweetness and roasted peanut quality by assaying for total carbohydrates. Based on regression values, the greatest efficiency would occur in the fastigiate market-type, then the runner.